The Central New York Community Foundation has awarded CNYETB $25,000 to help fund the purchase of a MORIA Microkeratome tissue-cutting system that will allow CNYETB to provide donor tissue to its local and regional surgeons for use in their PK, DSAEK, and Ultra-Thin DSAEK (‘UT-DSAEK’) surgical procedures.

Located in downtown Syracuse, NY, the Eye Bank of Central New York began providing eye tissue donation and recovery services in Central New York in 1955. In December 2001, the Eye Bank became a division of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Upstate New York Transplant Services (Unyts), among the leading organ, eye, and tissue procurement organizations in the United States and just one of eight centers nationwide that houses laboratory and procurement services in one setting. With the addition of Community Blood Services, Unyts became the first organization of its kind to provide procurement, community blood banking, and laboratory services via one location.

In 2005, the Eye Bank of Central New York became licensed to provide eye and tissue (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, skin) donation and recovery services for transplant and research and updated its name to the Central New York Eye and Tissue Bank (CNYETB). Our organization’s comprehensive donation services continue to determine suitability for donation, work with pertinent parties in obtaining consent for donation, and coordinate an extensive donor family support service following donation.

Throughout its history and currently, CNYETB has remained steadfast in fulfilling its mission of saving and enhancing lives through eye and tissue donation while maintaining respect for those who give the Gift of Life. CNYETB is committed to educating its constituencies and the CNY population about transplantation and how vital it is to reclaiming and improving lives.